06 January 2012

Sepia Saturday 107: Mad as a Hatter

Alice in Wonderland typically gets the credit for coining the phrase 'mad as a hatter.' My second Great Grand Aunt, Alice Morehouse, was neither mad nor a hatter and I doubt she ever went down any rabbit holes. Alice's grandmother was not mad either but family lore tells us that she was a hat and mantua maker (dressmaker). Fortunately for Sarah (Markins) Morehouse (June 1784 - 1 July 1861), women's hats did not prominently feature felt. The mercury used in the production of felt is what caused some hatters of the 18th and 19th centuries to lose their minds.

Mantua maker was one of the few honorable professions available to an urban widow to support her family. Widowed in 1817 at the age of 33 with five (possibly six) young children, Sarah (Markins) Morehouse likely supported her family by making hats and dresses first in New York City and later in Cincinnati. Below are a few of the fashions that might have inspired her creations. The general absence of felt is reassuring!

1817 Walking Dress from La Belle Assemblee

Newest Fashions for May 1829: Morning and Evening Dresses

Evening Dress, 1836; Library of Congress

Fashions for August, 1844

1853 Outerwear

Godey's Fashions for December 1861

Confirmation of Sarah (Markins) Morehouse's profession has been hard
to come by. From the settlement of her husband's estate, we know that
Sarah was not left with sufficient funds to support her family. Sarah is
included in the New York City directories but no profession is given.
There are a scant few directory listings in Cincinnati that likely apply
to Sarah and her spinster daughter, Mary. They had a variety store at
the corner 6th and Broadway where Mary sold fripperies ca 1860.

Perhaps it is I who is 'mad as a hatter' as the mere photograph of a hare sends me off to wonderland but thankfully not down any rabbit holes. For other posts inspired by the hare, see Sepia Saturday 107.

27 comments:

Oh what a delightful post! Just love all these fancy hats and dresses! We also have a pub not far from me called the Mad Hatter! But looking through the looking glass is always quite fun at the sepia posts, right! Enjoy your weekend!

I never knew that the expression "mad as a hatter" actually had anything to do with hat making and mercury. Those dresses are pretty as a picture, but I'm sure glad I never had to wear anything like them.

I assume you have looked at census reports where possible? Often they state the occupation of the person, though perhaps the early census reports do not. I have noticed the older the reports, the less info there is.

Whowerethey, Yes, I do have the census reports and they are some help. I should have included the citation. For Sarah, there is only the 1850 and 1860 census. She was older by that time and no occupation was listed. In the 1850 census, Sarah is living with her daughter Mary whose occupation is listed as 'Dry Goods Store.' That provides some substantiation but no direct evidence of Sarah's occupation. Thanks for the thought!

Liz, as always you did an amazing job with this weeks post. I learn something new from you every week. I may be wrong, but I think John Morehouse's widow Mary (Sarah's sister-in-law), was also a dressmaker in NYC after John died. Thank you for making our illustrious ancestor even more interesting. My "hat" is off to you this week. Debbie

I'm trying to imagine sewing dresses like those! They are amazing, with so much detail. Knowing they were handmade puts a new spin on the idea of getting a new dress (considering the little bit of fabric that's used in dresses these days). Thanks for the great post.

Christine, Now you have me wondering too. I'm not exactly certain why the mercury was necessary.

TB, The fashions truly were impressive. But not so much more impractical than the ultra mini skirts I wore in my youth. Lost a great many pencils in those days. If you dropped it, it was history! There was no way to graciously retrieve anything from the floor. Picking things up from the table was hard enough. ;)

I nice story and collection of images. Early dressmaking seems more like upholstery though.

The answer about mercury is that processing non-beaver furs to make imitation beaver felt used mercury nitrate, which turns the material orange, called 'carroting' and makes it stick together better. During the several steps: boiling, steaming, etc. it breaks down and mercury is released.